RED CARD! Police declare war on Fulani herdsmen with arms

Written By Idoma Television on Saturday, April 16, 2016 | 1:04:00 AM

The Police have declared war on Fulani herdsmen perpetrating unending attacks on farmers with unlicensed firearms.

The force said it does not issue gun licenses to herdsmen and would
henceforth clamp down on any one of them found to be in possession of
firearms without Police license.This move has become imperative following allegations that Fulani
herdsmen use dangerous weapons such as AK47 and other guns whenever they
are embroiled in violent clashes with farmers over grazing areas for
their cattle.

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, told Saturday
PUNCH that the police do not issue firearms to unqualified persons and
encourage Nigerians to provide information on illegal arms across the
country.

Arase, who spoke through the Force Public Relations Officer, Bisi
Kolawole, noted that any herdsman found carrying guns would be arrested
and prosecuted under the law of the land.“We have always confiscated illegal and prohibited firearms and
prosecute those arrested. Police cannot issue firearms license to
herdsmen; we are encouraging citizens to provide information on illegal
arms across the country. Public safety is the absolute priority,” the
police boss said via a text message from Kolawole.

The IG said all applications for firearms’ license must follow the
right procedures. “The Police cannot issue out firearms license to
anyone that is not qualified to possess firearms. There are procedures
to obtain firearms license; if you don’t follow the procedure and you
don’t meet the requirements, you will not be granted the approval to
possess one.”

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has said that the government would not
leave any stone unturned in its desire to find a lasting solution to the
problem of killings by Fulani herdsmen in the country.

He faulted those who claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari had been
silent on the matter herdsmen/farmers clashes, saying it was
unfortunate that people only chose what they wanted to hear.He said, “It is not true that the President is sectional and that he
has been silent on the Fulani herdsmen crisis because he is a Fulani.

“That is not true. The President has not been silent on the matter.
It is unfortunate that some people choose what they want to hear.“The President has spoken against the crisis many times. We also issued a press statement on the matter.“No stone will be left unturned in finding a lasting solution to the crisis.”

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